Dinner

Chipotle Vodka Pasta with Grilled Chicken

Name: Chipotle Vodka Pasta with Grilled Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 14 g unsalted butter (1 tbsp); 220 g shallots, diced (about 5–6 medium or 2–3 large); 25 g garlic, thinly sliced (5 cloves); red pepper flakes (a pinch); kosher salt, to taste; 130 g tomato paste (about 1 tube); 398 mL can of whole peeled tomatoes; 15 mL balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp); baking soda, only if the sauce tastes sharp (a pinch, up to 1/8 tsp); 20 g chipotle peppers in adobo, minced (2 peppers); 5 mL adobo sauce (from the can) (1 tsp); 40 mL 35% cream (2 1/2 tbsp); 60 mL vodka (1/4 cup); 120 g 0% plain Greek yogurt (1/2 cup); 680 g boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 lb); 5 mL olive or avocado oil (1 tsp); salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste; 400 g rigatoni or penne (durum wheat semolina) (100 g per person)

A smoky, creamy tomato vodka sauce with chipotle in adobo, lightened with Greek yogurt in place of most of the cream, tossed with rigatoni and grilled chicken. The sauce doubles well, so you can freeze half for another night.

1 hr 15 mintotal

4servings

58 gprotein per serving

776 kcalper serving

30%of calories from protein

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Ingredients

Weights first, with cups and spoons if you don't have a scale.

Serves

Sauce

14 g unsalted butter · 1 tbsp
220 g shallots, diced (about 5–6 medium or 2–3 large)
25 g garlic, thinly sliced · 5 cloves
red pepper flakes · a pinch
kosher salt, to taste
130 g tomato paste (about 1 tube)
398 mL can of whole peeled tomatoes
15 mL balsamic vinegar · 1 tbsp
baking soda, only if the sauce tastes sharp · a pinch, up to 1/8 tsp
20 g chipotle peppers in adobo, minced · 2 peppers
5 mL adobo sauce (from the can) · 1 tsp
40 mL 35% cream · 2 1/2 tbsp
60 mL vodka · 1/4 cup
120 g 0% plain Greek yogurt · 1/2 cup

Chicken and pasta

680 g boneless skinless chicken breasts · 1 1/2 lb
5 mL olive or avocado oil · 1 tsp
salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste
400 g rigatoni or penne (durum wheat semolina) · 100 g per person

Method

Prep the chicken
- Pound the breasts to an even thickness, rub them with the oil, and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Cook the aromatics
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, pepper flakes and a little salt.
- Cook 12–15 minutes, stirring, until very soft but not browned. A double batch takes 15–18 minutes.
Build the base
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the balsamic.
- Simmer uncovered on medium-low for 30–35 minutes (35–40 for a double batch), stirring every 5 minutes and crushing the tomatoes as you go.
- It's ready when it's darker and jammy and no longer tastes sharp. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick. If it still tastes sharp at the end, stir in the baking soda.
Grill the chicken
- While the sauce simmers, cook the chicken on a BBQ or grill pan over medium-high, 5–7 minutes per side, until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Rest 5 minutes, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Take the yogurt out of the fridge now.
Add the heat and blend
- Stir in the chipotles, adobo sauce and cream.
- Blend smooth, with the blender's centre cap off and a tea towel over the top. A double batch needs two blender loads. Return the sauce to the pot.
Freezing half? Take it out now, before the vodka and yogurt go in.
Cook the pasta
- Cook the pasta in salted water until about 3 minutes short of the package time.
Combine
- Add the vodka to the sauce and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Move the pasta straight into the sauce with 1/2 cup (120 mL) pasta water. Cook on high, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Add more pasta water 1/4 cup at a time if the sauce gets too thick.
Temper the yogurt
- Take the pot off the heat. Whisk hot sauce into the yogurt one spoonful at a time until the yogurt is smooth and warm, then stir it back into the pot.
Why this matters: tempering Greek yogurt.
Finish
- Stir in the sliced chicken, then season with salt and pepper. Taste before salting if you're adding Parmigiano.

Good to know

Making it for kids? The vodka goes in near the end, so most of the alcohol stays in the sauce. For kids' bowls, leave it out and add an extra splash of pasta water instead. You'll still get a creamy tomato sauce. If some of the bowls are for adults, toss the kids' pasta with sauce in a separate pan before adding the vodka.
The chipotle has a noticeable kick too. For a milder sauce, skip the red pepper flakes and use 1 chipotle (or just 1/2 tsp of the adobo sauce for a hint of smoke), then let the adults add heat to their own bowls.
Most of the cream is swapped for Greek yogurt. Tempering it (step 8) is what keeps the sauce smooth instead of grainy.
Don't rush the tomato simmer. The long cook is what takes the sharpness out without adding sugar.
Short on shallots? Top them up with yellow onion.
Optional topping: 5–10 g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano per bowl. Buy a wedge rather than bagged pre-grated.

Storing and reheating

To freeze, make a double batch of sauce and take half out after blending (step 5), before the vodka and yogurt go in, so the yogurt doesn't split in the freezer. Cool completely and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. On the night, warm the sauce gently and whisk it smooth if the cream has separated a little, then pick up at step 6: grill fresh chicken, cook the pasta, add 60 mL (1/4 cup) vodka, and temper in 120 g (1/2 cup) yogurt.

Macros

Per	kcal	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Full batch	3,103	232 g	56 g	381 g
1 serving (1 of 4)	776	58 g	14 g	95 g

Estimates based on typical Canadian label values. Yours will vary with the brands you use. With 10 g Parmigiano on top, a serving is about 815 kcal, 62 g protein and 17 g fat.

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Chipotle Vodka Pasta with Grilled Chicken

1 hr 15 min

Get everything out

Serves

Tick things off as you set them out. Every step will show the amounts it needs, at this size.

Sauce

14 g unsalted butter · 1 tbsp
220 g shallots, diced (about 5–6 medium or 2–3 large)
25 g garlic, thinly sliced · 5 cloves
red pepper flakes · a pinch
kosher salt, to taste
130 g tomato paste (about 1 tube)
398 mL can of whole peeled tomatoes
15 mL balsamic vinegar · 1 tbsp
baking soda, only if the sauce tastes sharp · a pinch, up to 1/8 tsp
20 g chipotle peppers in adobo, minced · 2 peppers
5 mL adobo sauce (from the can) · 1 tsp
40 mL 35% cream · 2 1/2 tbsp
60 mL vodka · 1/4 cup
120 g 0% plain Greek yogurt · 1/2 cup

Chicken and pasta

680 g boneless skinless chicken breasts · 1 1/2 lb
5 mL olive or avocado oil · 1 tsp
salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste
400 g rigatoni or penne (durum wheat semolina) · 100 g per person

Step 1 of 9

Prep the chicken

Pound the breasts to an even thickness, rub them with the oil, and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Step 2 of 9

Cook the aromatics

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, pepper flakes and a little salt.

Cook 12–15 minutes, stirring, until very soft but not browned. A double batch takes 15–18 minutes.

Step 3 of 9

Build the base

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and the balsamic.

Simmer uncovered on medium-low for 30–35 minutes (35–40 for a double batch), stirring every 5 minutes and crushing the tomatoes as you go.

It's ready when it's darker and jammy and no longer tastes sharp. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick. If it still tastes sharp at the end, stir in the baking soda.

Step 4 of 9

Grill the chicken

While the sauce simmers, cook the chicken on a BBQ or grill pan over medium-high, 5–7 minutes per side, until it reaches 165°F (74°C).

Rest 5 minutes, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Take the yogurt out of the fridge now.

Step 5 of 9

Add the heat and blend

Stir in the chipotles, adobo sauce and cream.

Blend smooth, with the blender's centre cap off and a tea towel over the top. A double batch needs two blender loads. Return the sauce to the pot.

Freezing half? Take it out now, before the vodka and yogurt go in.

Step 6 of 9

Cook the pasta

Cook the pasta in salted water until about 3 minutes short of the package time.

Step 7 of 9

Combine

Add the vodka to the sauce and bring it to a gentle simmer.

Move the pasta straight into the sauce with 1/2 cup (120 mL) pasta water. Cook on high, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the pasta is al dente. Add more pasta water 1/4 cup at a time if the sauce gets too thick.

Step 8 of 9

Temper the yogurt

Take the pot off the heat. Whisk hot sauce into the yogurt one spoonful at a time until the yogurt is smooth and warm, then stir it back into the pot.

Why this matters: tempering Greek yogurt.

Step 9 of 9

Finish

Stir in the sliced chicken, then season with salt and pepper. Taste before salting if you're adding Parmigiano.

That's it. Enjoy!

Made it? I'd love to hear how it went. You can leave a note at the bottom of the recipe.

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